In 1763, Marie-Josephte Corriveau was hanged near the Plains of Abraham and displayed in an iron cage for five weeks. Her cage ended up at Barnum’s Museum in New York — and eventually came home to Quebec City. Discover the story behind Quebec’s most infamous legend.

Halloween in Quebec City ranked 4th in the Americas in 2026 — behind only Salem, Orlando, and Sleepy Hollow. But unlike those destinations, Quebec City doesn't need invented legends. 400 years of real history does the haunting for it.

Fifty kilometres from Quebec City, a small island in the St. Lawrence holds the graves of more than 5,000 people who never made it to the new life they were sailing toward. Discover the story of Grosse-Île — the quarantine island that stood between Quebec City and the plague.

Samuel de Champlain arrived in Quebec City in 1608 with 32 men — only 8 survived the first winter. Discover the life of the explorer, cartographer and visionary who founded a city, mapped a continent, and died on Christmas Day in the place he built.

The Château Frontenac Quebec City holds the Guinness World Record for most photographed hotel in the world — but it was built to sell train tickets, hosted Churchill and Roosevelt during WWII, and hides a mysterious Korean postcard between its walls.

In 1639, three Augustinian nuns sailed from France and founded the first hospital in North America north of Mexico. The Hôtel-Dieu de Québec has been treating patients on the same site ever since — nearly 400 years of extraordinary history hiding in plain sight.

The Siege of Quebec 1759 lasted three months — fire ships, failed assaults, and a city reduced to rubble. Then one daring midnight gamble changed everything. Discover the dramatic summer that decided the fate of North America in less than thirty minutes.

Terrasse Dufferin is Quebec City's most photographed boardwalk — but most visitors have no idea it sits on the ashes of a governor's château that burned down in 1834. Discover the fire, the vision, and the man who turned tragedy into the city's favorite gathering place.

Marché Champlain was Quebec City's grandest public market — built on reclaimed river land, fed by hundreds of outdoor stalls, and destroyed by fire in 1910. Discover the forgotten story of the bustling waterfront that vanished without a trace.

Place Royale is the exact spot where Samuel de Champlain founded New France in 1608 — the cradle of French civilization in North America. From a fur-trading post to a royal square to a forgotten ruin and back again, discover the story behind this remarkable place.

Quebec City was once one of the busiest timber ports on Earth — its shores piled with floating rafts, its ships ballasted with Scottish bricks, its docks built by Irish hands. Discover the forgotten industry that built the city's grandest streets and quietest coves.

Notre-Dame de Quebec Basilica-Cathedral has survived two devastating fires, buried four governors of New France, and holds a privilege found nowhere else in the Americas — the only Holy Door outside Europe. Discover the story behind this remarkable building.

The Morrin Centre looks like a charming Victorian library — but it used to be Quebec City's prison, complete with public hangings at its front door. One prisoner even left his name scratched into the basement wall. The real ghost stories Old Quebec City tells aren't legends — they're history with a paper trail.

Not all Québec City walking tours are created equal. Before you book, discover what separates a truly unforgettable experience from a forgettable one — small groups, certified local guides, and stories you won't find in any guidebook. Here's what to look for.

The Escalier Casse-Cou / Breakneck Stairs has connected Upper and Lower Town since 1635 — but there's far more to these 59 steps than meets the eye. Discover the dramatic history behind Québec City's most iconic staircase.

The Fortifications of Québec City aren't just pretty walls — they survived sieges, battles, and near demolition to become the most dramatic story in North American history. Come find out why.

Step inside the only fortified city north of Mexico. This complete guide to walking Old Quebec City takes you through 400 years of history — from the iconic Château Frontenac and the Plains of Abraham to the hidden ruins beneath Dufferin Terrace. Whether you're planning your first visit or want to go deeper than the highlights, discover Upper Town, Lower Town, and the stories most visitors never hear. Written by Jean-Simon, local guide and founder of Urban Horizons Tours.